Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil-Shots rang out in Savannah's grandest mansion in the misty,early morning hours of May 2, 1981. Was it murder or self-defense? For nearly a decade, the shooting and its aftermath reverberated throughout this hauntingly beautiful city of moss-hung oaks and shaded squares.

John Berendt's "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" is much more famous... (& yes, it's wonderful!) ...but "City of Falling Angels" is my favorite. There are similarities between the two: the story of a modern day event, intertwined with a bit of history, a bit of gossip and quick, compelling word sketches of interesting locals; this time in Venice rather than Savannah.